Dallas area natives Ed and Karen Cage, lead a Tea Party chapter in Ajijic, Mexico, where they now reside. / David Agren for USA TODAY

by David Agren, Special for USA TODAY

by David Agren, Special for USA TODAY

AJIJIC, Mexico -- The Tea Party gathering in this expatriate colony of retired Americans and Canadians opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and singing of God Bless America.

It continued with an airing of conservative pundit Dinesh D'Souza's documentary, 2016: Obama's America, during which audience members sipped bottles of Corona beer and, tsk-tsked at some of the remarks made by Democrats in the film.

"I want to thank everyone for coming, regardless of their political views," said organizer Karen Cage, an ex-broadcasting manager from the Dallas area.

An estimated 10,000 U.S. citizens reside in this collection of villages on Mexico's majestic Lake Chapala â?? where locals boast the perpetual spring-like climate is among the best in the world. They may have left colder winters behind, but not U.S. politics.

In the Lake Chapala region, one finds a well-organized Democrats Abroad chapter, which serves up political screenings, too, including an episode of HBO's The Newsroom that described the Tea Party as "The American Taliban." Both sides are into the election as if they never left "the States."

"I've been a Republican since I was 20. I don't know how not to be involved," Cage says.

It's uncertain which side has more support, although Cage says the local chapter of Republicans Abroad has had organization issues â?? at least since George P. Bush, the then-president's nephew, stumped for votes here among expats in 2004. Some Democrats say former president George W. Bush is the reason they live at the area known as Lakeside.

"I said, 'If Bush wins re-election, I'm out of here,' " says retired real estate agent Lois Schroff, who sold her Virginia Beach home and moved to Mexico seven years ago.

Members of both groups do remain civil to each other, and try to avoid disputes by imposing "no-politics" rules when they get together.

"We've thrown people out of here for getting into arguments that were too partisan," says Maryan Ramos, a retiree originally from Corpus Christi, Texas.

"You really can't discuss politics with people down here," says Tea Party member Don Lott, a retired salesman from Forth Worth, Texas. "People are pretty small-minded â?? on both sides."

Both sides agree on their affection for Mexico, where sunshine is plentiful and property tax bills run about $200 annually. American amenities are also easily available â?? ranging from U.S. satellite TV service to grocery runs at Costco in nearby Guadalajara.

"Where else could a bunch of old fools go and have so much to do?" says Billy Cooper, a Tea Partier fond of the family-oriented local culture.

He cites another important reason for liking Mexico: health care that costs him "one-tenth" the price he would pay back in Houston, Cooper says.

The formation of a Tea Party chapter in a region of Mexico known for its outward migration to the United States is somewhat improbable given the Republican Party's preference for maintaining strict immigration laws, but Cooper sees no conflict.

"The Tea Party is all in favor of legal immigration," he says.

Politicking, which is intense in private, is discreet in public and few expats venture opinions on Mexican politics: The Mexican constitution forbids foreigners from meddling in such matters. Canadians winter here as well in almost equal numbers to the Americans. But they aren't as political-- possibly because many believe registering to vote will lead to problems with tax authorities back home, says former Canadian politician and Ajijic resident Rob Parker.